There’s nothing worse on a busy weeknight than having to cook a big, elaborate dinner. Some of these one-pot meals will require a slow cooker or Dutch oven, and some will need a simple skillet. But no matter which recipe you choose, you’ll only need to clean a single pot when you’re done. I don’t know about you, but that’s music to my ears!
1. Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Using the Crockpot to cook chicken is a terrific way to guarantee it stays nice and juicy. After all, it’s often cooked in stock or liquid, and once that lid is on, not a drop of moisture can escape. This honey and garlic recipe is lightly sweet with a kick of salty goodness from the soy sauce.
2. One-Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Lemon and cream don’t typically go well together, as the acidity in the fruit often leads to curdling. But if you do it right, you can have a wonderfully creamy sauce with a lovely hint of citrus in no time at all. The trick is to use room temperature cream and to add it right at the end.
3. Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Soup in 30 Minutes
Chicken and mushroom is a classic flavor combination, and in this soup, it’s better than ever. Since the mushrooms will get chopped up in a big pot, you won’t need to worry about finding anything fancy. Regular white mushrooms will give this more than enough flavor.
4. One-Pan Garlic Ranch Chicken and Veggies
Ranch has such a unique taste, and I think it works best with chicken. But instead of smothering the meat in dressing, all you’ll need is a pack of dry ranch mix. Use it like you would salt and pepper, and coat everything from the meat to the veggies.
5. Honey Balsamic Chicken Breasts and Veggies
Balsamic glaze is noticeably tangy and can be pretty acidic. That said, it does have a slight sweetness, which is enhanced beautifully by adding honey. Not only does this honey and balsamic marinade guarantee incredible flavor, but it also works to tenderize the chicken.
6. One-Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
This dish is quite similar to a stir-fry, only you’ll cook the rice with the rest of the ingredients, rather than in a separate pot. So, once the chicken is browned, you’ll need to toast the rice before covering everything with water to cook through. That means you’ll need a deep saucepan, preferably with a heavy bottom.
7. One-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
This home-grown soup is super nostalgic and just what you’ll need after a day out in the cold. Since this base is essentially just chicken broth, make sure to start with something of high quality. If you go for a cheaper option, you won’t get the same depth of flavor. If you want to speed this up, you could always use leftover chicken and just add it to the pot right at the end.
8. One-Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies
Honey and garlic are both quite well known for their medicinal benefits, and it doesn’t hurt that they taste great together to boot. Pair them with lean chicken and yummy veggies, and you’ll have one healthy meal!
9. One-Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice
This chicken and rice meal is kind of like a fast paella recipe. It uses many of the same herbs and spices, but you won’t need to worry about adding shrimp and rabbit. Instead, you’ll use boneless chicken thighs for maximum juiciness and a quick blend of colorful spices, including cumin, paprika, and chili powder.
10. One-Pot Chicken Ranch Pasta
If you’re craving pasta but don’t want the usual mac and cheese or marinara dish, you’ll have to try this insanely indulgent ranch recipe. Don’t worry; you’re not just adding ranch dressing to the pasta. Instead, you’ll make a quick sauce with chicken broth, milk, and dry seasoning.
11. One-Pot Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
I love adding broccoli to pasta because it’s just so colorful. That’s super important when you have light pasta and cheese sauce because your food should look as good as it tastes. I like broccoli when it’s still quite crunchy, so I only add it to the pot right at the end. Of course, if you like it more tender, you can throw it in the pot sooner.
12. Healthy Chicken Chili
Chili is such a healthy one-pot meal, and it’s super filling to boot. Between the tomatoes, corn, and beans, you definitely won’t be hungry after a bowl of this. Of course, if you want a boost of protein, too, there’s nothing better than chicken. Although this recipe calls for rotisserie chicken, you can cook raw breasts right in the pot.
13. One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Sausage and Potatoes
Andouille sausage links are smokey and bursting with flavor. But since this marinade is so tasty, you could use any sausages you prefer. I like to use a large tray for this. That way, the chicken and potatoes have plenty of room to cook. If they’re too tightly packed, you might end up with raw spots, and you definitely won’t see any crisp edges.
14. One-Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Alfredo sauce is creamy, cheesy, and wonderfully garlicky. Better still, it’s easier than you think to make from scratch. For this dish, you’ll start with milk, chicken broth, and garlic, and the pasta will cook in the mix. Once the pasta is tender, you’ll add cream and parmesan, and that’s it!
15. One-Pot Paprika Chicken Thighs
Chicken and paprika were made for each other. One is juicy and delightfully savory, while the other is smoky and even a little bit fruity. Paprika is also intensely colorful, making something as simple as chicken and potatoes vibrant and Instagram-worthy.
16. One-Pot Chicken Chow Mein Recipe
Traditional chow mein and lo mein dishes use pre-cooked noodles. They’re added to the end once the rest of the dish is ready to eat, which means you’ll need at least two pots on the stove. But since this list is strictly one-pot wonders, we want something more straightforward, right? So, although this might not be the most authentic chow mein recipe, it will make dinner much easier.
17. Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Butter chicken should be thick, creamy, and insanely luscious with plenty of tender chicken pieces. But did you know you can make a whole pot in just 30 minutes? Thanks to the Instant Pot, it’s quicker than ever to make slow-cooked meals.
18. Chicken Adobo
This Filipino dish is a must-make. It’s the perfect balance between sweet and spicy, and you won’t believe how juicy the chicken is. Start by cooking the chicken until the skin is golden and crisp, then braise in a heavenly blend of soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, sugar, and chicken stock.
19. One-Pot Chicken Stew
As much as I love chicken soup, it’s not always the most filling. So when it’s extra cold outside, I much prefer to make this chicken stew. It’s thick, rich, and packed with yummy veggies. Of course, the classic combination of carrot and potatoes is scrumptious and inexpensive. But feel free to add your favorite vegetables.
20. One-Pan Chicken Enchilada Skillet
I have to admit that I was a little unsure of this recipe at first. It seemed so strange to add the tortilla strips like noodles since I figured they would turn into mush. But amazingly, this tastes just like a pan of chicken enchiladas. I also grilled the dish right at the end before adding the cheese, which made some of the tortilla edges turn crunchy.
21. One-Pot Chicken and Orzo
Orzo may look like thick grains of rice, but it’s actually pasta. And since it’s pasta, it’s much chewier and more firm than rice, which I often find pretty mushy. To get the most out of the orzo, start by toasting it. You’ll find it becomes pleasantly nutty and holds its shape and texture even better when cooked.
22. Honey Mustard Chicken & Potatoes
Have you noticed a theme in many of these recipes? So many contain chicken thighs, and that’s because they’re much more forgiving than chicken breasts. Since you’ll start by frying the chicken, skin-side down, you’ll want a big, heavy skillet. To that, you’ll add the sauce and potatoes and finish cooking it all in the oven. If you want this less spicy, just use dijon mustard instead of multigrain.
23. Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Spinach
If you’re not a fan of dark meat, this chicken breast recipe might be just what you’ll need. I know cooking chicken breasts on the stovetop can be intimidating, as they’re pretty easy to dry out. But as long as you use medium-high heat and leave the chicken alone (don’t move it around), it should stay nice and juicy. Click on a star to rate it!
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